Piqué Reveals Messi's Indifference to Ronaldo Rivalry and Individual Accolades

In a 2024 interview, former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué revealed that Lionel Messi never focused on competing against Cristiano Ronaldo or winning individual awards. Piqué, who played alongside both superstars, claimed that Messi was solely team-oriented, prioritizing titles like the Champions League over personal accolades.

Piqué and Messi shared the dressing room at Barcelona for 13 seasons, during which they amassed 506 matches and 17 joint goal contributions. Addressing his former teammate, Piqué asserted that Messi was never the type of player who cared about Ronaldo's career or individual achievements, despite being the center of media attention.

"He wasn't that type of guy. He was very team-focused, although he was getting all the first page in all the newspapers and radios and TV. At the end of the day, he was very close with all of us, and he was just focused on winning titles like the Champions League and kinds of things," Piqué said.

The former Spanish defender also revealed that Messi's Ballon d'Or wins were not a priority for him, as his primary focus was on collective success. In contrast, Piqué played 15 games alongside Ronaldo during his time at Manchester United before joining Barcelona in 2008.

In a separate interview in 2023, Piqué picked Messi over Ronaldo in the GOAT debate, praising the Argentine's unparalleled talent. "I think that in terms of talent, Messi is number one, for sure," he said.